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Seven Stories
Walking With the Ghosts of Pier 13:
A grueling summer of horror is finally winding down, and Jeremy is one of the wandering survivors who can't come to grips with the acts of terror that have been ripping his nation apart. His destination today is Pier 13, the ocean front amusement park his family visited every summer when he was a child, and his purpose for coming here is simple: he wants to understand why so many people have been dying in such violent acts... but that might not be the only answer he finds at the old docks.
Running Rain:
In the year since their son was the first victim of a serial killer known as the The Riverside Strangler, a devastated husband and wife have tried to pretend life can somehow be normal again... but the secrets they're keeping from each other are pushing their relationship to the brink. To make matters worse, The Riverside Strangler was never caught, and now the husband is obsessed with running along the river at night, searching for the truth about why his son died: a truth he may not really want to know...
Answering the Call:
A young man's very unusual job is taking a heavy toll on him. He stays in homes during the owner's funeral. Someone needs to be there to answer the phone, receive deliveries, and deter thieves who might have seen the obituary in the newspaper and decided this would be a good time for a break-in. The young man has seen a lot of strange things over the years in the homes of the dead, and sometimes his job is truly a matter of life and death...
The Punishment Room:
Assuming Michael manages to escape the Punishment Room with his sanity and his life, he isn't sure if he'll be able to go on living with the knowledge of what he did to survive... but then again, that's a dilemma he wouldn't mind confronting, given the finality of the alternative.
What They Left Behind:
There's something lurking in the basement of the old Timlico office building. This thing is evil, the result of the tragic fire that killed dozens of Timlico employees and sent that business spiraling into bankruptcy -- or maybe the thing was the cause of the fire. Scott and a few friends will learn more about this thing before the day is over, including some very bad news for everyone: the thing in the basement is still hungry.
A Dreamlike State:
Daniel is driving back to his hometown for the first time in six years because his father is dying, but he knows there's more than a sick patriarch waiting for him in the house where he grew up. He has a heart full of questions, and all of his childhood ghosts are patiently waiting for him... and they have a few questions of their own.
Where Sunlight Sleeps:
A grieving father and his young son, both dealing with their loss in their own ways. A Saturday ritual, retracing the last steps of the woman they loved more than any other. A search for the place where the sunlight sleeps, where bad feelings can be released. And a trip down a memory lane lined with jagged edges and vicious traps that just won't let them go.
(The only short story currently listed on Amazon that is missing from this bundle is "The Silent Attic," which is an experimental piece closely related to "A Dreamlike Sleep." If you like "A Dreamlike Sleep", be sure to download "The Silent Attic" to see another glimpse of that same world.)
A grueling summer of horror is finally winding down, and Jeremy is one of the wandering survivors who can't come to grips with the acts of terror that have been ripping his nation apart. His destination today is Pier 13, the ocean front amusement park his family visited every summer when he was a child, and his purpose for coming here is simple: he wants to understand why so many people have been dying in such violent acts... but that might not be the only answer he finds at the old docks.
Running Rain:
In the year since their son was the first victim of a serial killer known as the The Riverside Strangler, a devastated husband and wife have tried to pretend life can somehow be normal again... but the secrets they're keeping from each other are pushing their relationship to the brink. To make matters worse, The Riverside Strangler was never caught, and now the husband is obsessed with running along the river at night, searching for the truth about why his son died: a truth he may not really want to know...
Answering the Call:
A young man's very unusual job is taking a heavy toll on him. He stays in homes during the owner's funeral. Someone needs to be there to answer the phone, receive deliveries, and deter thieves who might have seen the obituary in the newspaper and decided this would be a good time for a break-in. The young man has seen a lot of strange things over the years in the homes of the dead, and sometimes his job is truly a matter of life and death...
The Punishment Room:
Assuming Michael manages to escape the Punishment Room with his sanity and his life, he isn't sure if he'll be able to go on living with the knowledge of what he did to survive... but then again, that's a dilemma he wouldn't mind confronting, given the finality of the alternative.
What They Left Behind:
There's something lurking in the basement of the old Timlico office building. This thing is evil, the result of the tragic fire that killed dozens of Timlico employees and sent that business spiraling into bankruptcy -- or maybe the thing was the cause of the fire. Scott and a few friends will learn more about this thing before the day is over, including some very bad news for everyone: the thing in the basement is still hungry.
A Dreamlike State:
Daniel is driving back to his hometown for the first time in six years because his father is dying, but he knows there's more than a sick patriarch waiting for him in the house where he grew up. He has a heart full of questions, and all of his childhood ghosts are patiently waiting for him... and they have a few questions of their own.
Where Sunlight Sleeps:
A grieving father and his young son, both dealing with their loss in their own ways. A Saturday ritual, retracing the last steps of the woman they loved more than any other. A search for the place where the sunlight sleeps, where bad feelings can be released. And a trip down a memory lane lined with jagged edges and vicious traps that just won't let them go.
(The only short story currently listed on Amazon that is missing from this bundle is "The Silent Attic," which is an experimental piece closely related to "A Dreamlike Sleep." If you like "A Dreamlike Sleep", be sure to download "The Silent Attic" to see another glimpse of that same world.)
81 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 3, 2010
24 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
About the author
Brian James Freeman
100 books149 followersBrian James Freeman sold his first short story when he was fourteen years old and now writes full-time thanks to the support of his patrons on Patreon. He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife, three kids, a German Shorthaired Pointer, and an English Pointer. More books are on the way.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 26, 2012
This is collection of short stories have death and loss as the main driving force of the story. He has written these so well not one story lacks in excellence.
Stories that deliver with content that are Haunting, visceral, thought provoking and poignant.
Walking With the Ghosts of Pier 13
A thought provoking deep sense of feeling story. One brother visits a virtually abandoned amusement park, a Pier that has witnessed mass murderer and death including that of his brother.
This is a post 9/11 story, in a world where many more incidents and deaths have spread across the U.S.A.
Written well, descriptive and really a good story.
Running Rain
A story of a couple coming to terms with the loss of their son. Eight teenagers have been murders in the area, there is no body found of their Ron but they know he's dead now. They struggle, the husband has persistent nightmares and takes up running near where his son was last seen near a river. He was always running by the river trying to forget and shake off the eight names of the dead but it's hard for him. This is a good short read of loss and love.
Answering The Call
Original creative story of a man who entraps, it seems, souls of the dead in a phone answering device. A sort of ghostbuster. He visits the departed's home and removes the ghosts.
The Punishment Room
The story is as the title describes, a punishment room where you are tortured and people killed. It seems it's government run and the torture only stops when the deceased innocent victims family say so.
What They Left Behind
There is a presence of pure evil in the generator room. There are others.
A Dreamlike State
In this tale a brother is haunted by his sisters death, many years ago, nightmares and visitations of her and the dead.
When The Sunlight Sleeps
A widower is coming to terms with death of his wife and he is trying to deal with his sons hurt and make him accept she's dead. Every week they do a tour a visit the locations of how where they first meet mother and father, the sons wants it.
Stories that deliver with content that are Haunting, visceral, thought provoking and poignant.
Walking With the Ghosts of Pier 13
A thought provoking deep sense of feeling story. One brother visits a virtually abandoned amusement park, a Pier that has witnessed mass murderer and death including that of his brother.
This is a post 9/11 story, in a world where many more incidents and deaths have spread across the U.S.A.
Written well, descriptive and really a good story.
"I didn't really think the park would even be open, let alone with the coaster running."
"You heard the President, didn't you?"
"Go on living, right?"
"Like nothing has changed," the girl said."Like there's nothing to fear."
"You scared?"
"Out of my mind."
Running Rain
A story of a couple coming to terms with the loss of their son. Eight teenagers have been murders in the area, there is no body found of their Ron but they know he's dead now. They struggle, the husband has persistent nightmares and takes up running near where his son was last seen near a river. He was always running by the river trying to forget and shake off the eight names of the dead but it's hard for him. This is a good short read of loss and love.
Answering The Call
Original creative story of a man who entraps, it seems, souls of the dead in a phone answering device. A sort of ghostbuster. He visits the departed's home and removes the ghosts.
The Punishment Room
The story is as the title describes, a punishment room where you are tortured and people killed. It seems it's government run and the torture only stops when the deceased innocent victims family say so.
What They Left Behind
There is a presence of pure evil in the generator room. There are others.
A Dreamlike State
In this tale a brother is haunted by his sisters death, many years ago, nightmares and visitations of her and the dead.
When The Sunlight Sleeps
A widower is coming to terms with death of his wife and he is trying to deal with his sons hurt and make him accept she's dead. Every week they do a tour a visit the locations of how where they first meet mother and father, the sons wants it.
February 11, 2012
Brian is something of a rarity in today's Horror genre. A writer who doesn't beat you over the head with all the violent, gory details in his stories. Oh, the violence and gore is there, but it's left to your imagination. Kind of like the shower scene in Hitchcock's "Psycho". You may not see every stroke on the screen, but you certainly visualize it in your mind. Don't get me wrong, there is definitely a place in Horror for the writer who put's it all on the page, but it's nice to see one with the skill to achieve the same results with the unwritten word. On to "Seven Stories". If I have any complaint it's that 7 wasn't enough. It was a little like your favorite band releasing an EP rather than a full album. The collection started with "Walking With the Ghosts of Pier 13" It's not straight out of today's headlines...yet. And I'm hopeful that events like these never come to pass here in the US. In all his stories, Brian finds the horror in the everyday, often dealing with loss, shining a light into the darness only to reveal a deeper darkness. I love Brian's ability to make me cringe and squirm just by setting the table and allowing me to imagine the torment and horror of a situation, as he does to perfection in "The Punishment Room". It all wraps up with a shocking ending in story seven, "When the Sunlight Sleeps". Get this one, turn the lights down low and let Brian James Freeman exorcise your imagination.
August 9, 2012
Seven Stories is a collection of just that: seven stories. All previously published, Brian James Freeman and Cemetery Dance offer up this relatively modest collection, and given how much I enjoyed his novella, The Painted Darkness, I didn't hesitate adding this to my Kindle.
While a couple of the stories are truly horrific on a visceral level, the majority of this collection follows a quieter path in scaring the reader. "Walking with the Ghosts of Pier 13" is a strong example of the latter, as a man wanders a boardwalk amusement park in the wake of terrorist attacks across the country that have devastated the nation's psyche and targeted amusement parks specifically. It's more of a look at the aftermath than the act itself, but all the more disturbing because of it.
Stories like "Running Rain" and "The Punishment Room" offer some unsettling twists on familiar ideas, serial killers with the former and torture and justice with the latter. Both were two stand-outs among seven very strong offerings. If there's a runt in the litter, it might be "What They Left Behind," which I thought had a great creature feature vibe as a couple office workers explore the dessicated warehouse of where they work. Good, but forgettable compared to my favorite of the bunch, "Where Sunlight Sleeps." That story, which tugs the ol' heartstrings with a tale of a father taking his son on their weekly tour of his dead wife's mundane travels, at the behest of a grief counselor to help the son cope with her death. Really touching and really disquieting as it goes along.
This collection is relatively small compared to the more conventional books you see on shelves, but as an e-book it's a very convenient size for curious readers that would like to take Freeman's writing for a test drive. If Freeman has more stories waiting in the wings, I eagerly await the chance to read them.
While a couple of the stories are truly horrific on a visceral level, the majority of this collection follows a quieter path in scaring the reader. "Walking with the Ghosts of Pier 13" is a strong example of the latter, as a man wanders a boardwalk amusement park in the wake of terrorist attacks across the country that have devastated the nation's psyche and targeted amusement parks specifically. It's more of a look at the aftermath than the act itself, but all the more disturbing because of it.
Stories like "Running Rain" and "The Punishment Room" offer some unsettling twists on familiar ideas, serial killers with the former and torture and justice with the latter. Both were two stand-outs among seven very strong offerings. If there's a runt in the litter, it might be "What They Left Behind," which I thought had a great creature feature vibe as a couple office workers explore the dessicated warehouse of where they work. Good, but forgettable compared to my favorite of the bunch, "Where Sunlight Sleeps." That story, which tugs the ol' heartstrings with a tale of a father taking his son on their weekly tour of his dead wife's mundane travels, at the behest of a grief counselor to help the son cope with her death. Really touching and really disquieting as it goes along.
This collection is relatively small compared to the more conventional books you see on shelves, but as an e-book it's a very convenient size for curious readers that would like to take Freeman's writing for a test drive. If Freeman has more stories waiting in the wings, I eagerly await the chance to read them.
September 10, 2016
While just seven stories, I took a week to read this short collection. Why? Because each tale is so well-done, poignant, scary, touching, chilling, and moving that I had to let each one settle into my head, thinking about the themes, the characters, the situations, and tightly wound narratives. Each short tale is very different yet no less compelling than the last.
Some stories will leave you bewildered and baffled, others will frighten you, and still others will move you emotionally. You'll find everything from a straight-up ghost story, a reimagining of 9/11, and a TWILIGHT ZONE take on telephonic communication with the dead. But the overarching themes that tie these stories together nicely is how people deal with loss, betrayal, and family.
Fans of "quiet horror" will love this little collection, and I recommend they check out Freeman's other books for more of the same wonderful storytelling--THE PAINTED DARKNESS and BLACK FIRE (as James Kidman).
Some stories will leave you bewildered and baffled, others will frighten you, and still others will move you emotionally. You'll find everything from a straight-up ghost story, a reimagining of 9/11, and a TWILIGHT ZONE take on telephonic communication with the dead. But the overarching themes that tie these stories together nicely is how people deal with loss, betrayal, and family.
Fans of "quiet horror" will love this little collection, and I recommend they check out Freeman's other books for more of the same wonderful storytelling--THE PAINTED DARKNESS and BLACK FIRE (as James Kidman).
February 23, 2018
While Walking With the Ghosts of Pier 13 is timely...
My favourite is What They Left Behind. I was reading it in the cafeteria at work, on the edge of my seat. It takes a lot to make me scared while reading. Not just interested, engaged, but worried. And see, yes, this is why people should be afraid of the dark!
Click, click, click...
My favourite is What They Left Behind. I was reading it in the cafeteria at work, on the edge of my seat. It takes a lot to make me scared while reading. Not just interested, engaged, but worried. And see, yes, this is why people should be afraid of the dark!
Click, click, click...
March 22, 2018
Like the title says: This is a collection of seven short stories. They were just weird and I didn't like any of them. On the bright side, it's another one off my Kindle. :)
April 17, 2012
What a pleasant read. I truly enjoyed each different short story and found it was so refreshing to dive into the next compelling story. Brian is a wonderful storyteller and knows the craft of short stories. It is hard to pic a favorite but I LOVED What They Left Behind.The suspense was fantastic and I gripped my kindle until the end! Off to buy his novella!
January 28, 2016
hmmm... there needs to be a 2 1/2 stars. I didn't hate it, but didn't really like it either. It was just kinda there. The stories were easy to read, but never really developed and left me wanting something more. Every single one of them. Strange.
If you want a GOOD book of short stories, read "How To Breathe Underwater" by Julie Orringer.
If you want a GOOD book of short stories, read "How To Breathe Underwater" by Julie Orringer.
February 28, 2013
A decent short story collection. The stories were all well written and weren't bad, but there really wasn't any that really got me involved (as much as a short story can) and none really stood out in my mind after reading them.
July 10, 2018
I was impressed. Enjoyed every story. If you are a horror fan, you should give this a shot. I'll be checking out more of his works.
May 4, 2012
This book scared the crap out of me. In a good way.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews